METHOD AND ELEVATOR CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING A MAINTENANCE MODE OF AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for controlling a maintenance mode of an elevator system includes: recognizing a machine-detectable feature in an automated manner using a portable computer-controlled device of a technician and, subsequently, outputting a maintenance completion signal, the machine-detectable feature being within the elevator system such that it can only be detected by the computer-controlled device located outside an elevator shaft of the elevator system and wherein the machine-detectable feature is uniquely assigned to the elevator system; receiving the maintenance completion signal by an elevator controller controlling the maintenance mode and, subsequently, completing the maintenance mode. The method and an elevator control arrangement configured to carry out the method enables a maintenance mode to be completed by the technician in the elevator system in a simple, intuitive, and safe manner without the need for significant additional hardware.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for controlling a maintenance mode operation of an elevator system, the method comprising the steps of: recognizing a machine-detectable feature automatically using a portable computer-controlled device of a technician, wherein the machine-detectable feature can only be detected by the computer-controlled device when the computer-controlled device is located outside an elevator shaft of the elevator system, and wherein the machine-detectable feature is uniquely assigned to the elevator system; outputting a maintenance completion signal from the portable computer-controlled device in response to the recognition of the machine-detectable feature; receiving the maintenance completion signal by an elevator controller controlling the maintenance mode operation of the elevator system; and completing the maintenance mode operation by the elevator controller.

13. The method according to claim 12 including outputting the maintenance completion signal only when the technician having the computer-controlled device is located outside the elevator shaft.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the portable computer-controlled device requires the technician to authorize himself on the portable computer-controlled device before outputting the maintenance completion signal.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the machine-detectable feature is an RFID transponder and the portable computer-controlled device recognizes the machine-detectable feature by reading out the RFID transponder.

16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the machine-detectable feature is an optically recognizable feature arrangement that is uniquely assigned to the elevator system and the portable computer-controlled device detects the machine-detectable feature by optically recognizing the optically recognizable feature arrangement.

17. The method according to claim 12 wherein the portable computer-controlled device outputs the maintenance completion signal to an external data cloud and in response a further maintenance completion signal is output from the data cloud to the elevator controller.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the portable computer-controlled device outputs the maintenance completion signal together with an identification signal that uniquely identifies the elevator system to the external data cloud and the further maintenance completion signal is output from the data cloud to the elevator controller of the elevator system indicated by the identification signal.

19. The method according to claim 12 wherein the portable computer-controlled device outputs the maintenance completion signal directly to the elevator controller.

20. A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions that instruct a programmable elevator control arrangement to perform the method steps according to claim 12.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having the computer program product according to claim 20 stored thereon.

22. An elevator control arrangement for controlling a maintenance mode in an elevator system, the elevator control arrangement comprising: a machine-detectable feature within the elevator system that can only be detected by a computer-controlled device that is located outside an elevator shaft of the elevator system and wherein the machine-detectable feature is uniquely assigned to the elevator system; wherein the portable computer-controlled device is adapted to automatically recognize the machine-detectable feature and, in response, output a maintenance completion signal; and an elevator controller for controlling the maintenance mode that is adapted to complete the maintenance mode in response to receiving the maintenance completion signal.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system in which a maintenance mode can be completed using an elevator control arrangement according to the invention by carrying out a method according to the invention.

[0048] The FIGURE is merely schematic and is not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system 1 having an elevator control arrangement 3, with the aid of which a maintenance mode of the elevator system 1 can be completed in a targeted manner, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] In order to be able to carry out maintenance work in the elevator system 1, a technician 13 can previously set a maintenance mode in the elevator system 1 so that the elevator system 1 can no longer be used by passengers and the technician 13 can control movements of an elevator car of the elevator system 1 while it is located within an elevator shaft 15, for example. The movements of the elevator car are coordinated by an elevator controller 9 which controls an elevator drive 23. The technician 13 can enter the elevator shaft 15 through an elevator shaft door 17.

[0051] When the maintenance work is completed, the technician 13 leaves the elevator shaft 15 and closes the elevator shaft door 17. In order to then complete the maintenance mode in the elevator system 1, the technician 13 can use his portable computer-controlled device 5, such as his smartphone, to signal to the elevator control arrangement 3 that he has left the elevator shaft 15, so that the elevator system 1 is in a state that is safe for the technician 13, and that the maintenance mode is to be completed.

[0052] For this purpose, the technician 13 can hold his portable computer-controlled device 5, for example, close to an operating panel 19 which is normally used by passengers in order to request the elevator car by pressing call buttons 21. A machine-detectable feature 7, which can be recognized by the portable computer-controlled device 5 of the technician 13, can be integrated in the operating panel 19 without being visible from the outside.

[0053] For example, the machine-readable feature 7 can be designed in the form of an RFID transponder 8. If the portable computer-controlled device 5 is brought close enough to this RFID transponder by the technician 13, a sensor system in the computer-controlled device 5 can suitably emit radio waves and detect radio waves which are reflected by the RFID transponder 8. In this way, it can be recognized that the technician 13 having his computer-controlled device 5 is close to the operating panel 19 and thus located outside the elevator shaft 15.

[0054] In addition, the technician 13 authorizes himself using his personal computer-controlled device 5 to be allowed to complete the maintenance mode in the elevator system 1. If necessary, the portable computer-controlled device 15 can additionally be set up to first request the technician 13 to input, for example, a personal identification number or a password in order to authenticate himself.

[0055] When the portable computer-controlled device 5 has recognized the machine-readable feature 7, it generates a maintenance completion signal. This maintenance completion signal can then be transmitted to external computers of a data cloud 11, which can be arranged, for example, in a remote elevator monitoring center. Together with the maintenance completion signal, an identification signal that uniquely identifies the elevator system 1 can also be transmitted to the data cloud 11. This identification signal can, for example, be derived from the reflected signal from the RFID transponder. By means of this identification signal, it can be recognized in the data cloud 11 in which elevator system 1 the technician 13 is currently located and thus in which elevator system 1 the maintenance mode is currently to be completed. The data cloud 11 can then transmit a further maintenance completion signal to the elevator controller 9 in the corresponding elevator system 1. The elevator controller 9 can then complete the maintenance mode and return to a normal operating mode in which the elevator drive 23 follows the call and destination requests made by passengers.

[0056] Alternatively, the portable computer-controlled device 5 can also transmit the generated maintenance completion signal directly to the elevator controller 9 when the machine-readable feature 7 is recognized.

[0057] A data or signal transmission between the portable computer-controlled device 5 and the data cloud 11 and/or the elevator controller 9 can be wire-based or wireless, for example via radio (e.g., WLAN or Bluetooth) and preferably including a local or global network such as the internet.

[0058] As an alternative to implementing the machine-readable feature 7 with the aid of an RFID transponder 8, the machine-readable feature can also be implemented using a plurality of different other technical implementations. For example, a barcode or QR code 8 can be provided at a hidden location outside the elevator shaft 15, which barcode can be read out using a scanner that is integrated in the portable computer-controlled device 5. As a further alternative, a small transmitter 8 can be provided outside the elevator shaft 15 which, for example, emits electromagnetic or optical signals, the signals being able to be recognized by the computer-controlled device 5 when it comes close enough to the transmitter.

[0059] As a further specific embodiment, an optically recognizable feature arrangement can be provided in the elevator system 1, which can be recognized, for example, by image analysis of an image recorded by the portable computer-controlled device 5. For example, the operating panel 19 can be designed in a special way and/or arranged at a specific position relative to other components of the elevator system 1, so that this results in an image that uniquely characterizes the elevator system 1; for example, the image can be recognized by a camera of the portable computer-controlled device 5 using image analysis.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” etc. do not preclude other elements or steps, and terms such as “a” or “an” do not preclude a plurality of elements or steps. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above.

[0061] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] 1 Elevator system

[0063] 3 Elevator control arrangement

[0064] 5 Portable computer-controlled device

[0065] 7 Machine-readable feature

[0066] 8 RFID transponder

[0067] 9 Elevator controller

[0068] 11 Data cloud

[0069] 13 Technician

[0070] 15 Elevator shaft

[0071] 17 Elevator shaft door

[0072] 19 Operating panel

[0073] 21 Call button

[0074] 23 Elevator drive